Aug Application

4 years Duration

Budget Est. $2,700 per year

OVERVIEW CURRICULUM KEY INFORMATION ADMISSION TUITION FEE ACCOMMODATION

OVERVIEW

ABOUT

The International Buddhist College (IBC) is an institute of higher learning that offers different academic programs related to Buddhist thought. With English and Chinese as a medium of instruction and students and teachers from many countries and parts of the world, IBC is truly international.

IBC offers students a unique opportunity of experiencing a comprehensive and in-depth study of Buddhism from a non-sectarian point of view, while promoting knowledge and understanding of the different schools and traditions.

Being truly international, IBC uses English and Chinese as media of instruction and presently has students and teachers from more than 20 countries. A unique feature is the equal emphasis on study and practice. IBC aims to become an internationally recognized centre for Buddhist studies.

Branches and Facilities

Korat campus

The korat campus is located in a small city called Pak Thong Chai. At the first sight Pak Thong Chai might look like a usual Thai city, but at second sight one will discover its beauty. It offers lovely parks, beautiful lakes, precious temples, delicious restaurants and a broad range of sport facilities. You also find a good choice of shops where you find everything you need for your daily life.

The korat campus has currently an administrative and academic building, a building with classrooms, a canteen, a male and female dormitory, a multi-purpose auditorium and a library. A new library is currently in planing and shall be built till the end of 2012.

The administrative and academic buildings include meeting rooms, offices for the staff, classrooms as well as working rooms for the students. Within the classroom building we find 4 units for BA and MA lectures. The multi-purpose auditorium has a seating capacity for 300 people and also serves as event and conference room.

The library presently holds more than 10,000 books of which over 6000 are in English. The remaining books are in the other relevant Buddhist languages such as Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, Tibetan and Thai. Among them we find three versions of the Chinese Tripitaka, three editions of the Pali Tipitaka and a Tibetan Tripitaka.

The library also serves as the centre of the Department of Information and Multimedia. It houses a computer laboratory and equipment for scanning, document processing and copying . Internet connectivity is provided within the whole campus by a broad range of WLAN access points.

Sadao campus

The sadao campus is located around 5km from Khlong Ngae and is surrounded by a beautiful nature. Khlong Ngae is a small and peaceful town between Hat Yai and Sadao. It offers a good choice of shops where you find everything you need for your daily life.

Presently, the sadao campus has an administrative building, an academic building, a multi-purpose auditorium and a library. The two-storied administrative building houses a meeting room, a large capacity shrine room and offices on the top floor; students' dormitories, medical treatment room, a students' recreation room and a dining room can be found on the ground floor.

The academic building houses 10 lecture rooms. The multipurpose auditorium has a seating capacity for 600 people. It also serves as conference room. The IBC Sadao campus is designed as a fully residential college, with congenial living quarters for bhikkhus, bhikkhunis, male and female lay students.

CURRICULUM

IBC offers a very broad choice of courses that include the full scope of Buddhist thought. Thus the lectures cover the period from pre-buddhist time till contemporary Buddhism and include all the major schools and traditions that existed throughout time.

In the IBC curriculum you find lectures about

Early Buddhism
Indian Buddhism
Buddhism in the different countries
Theravada Buddhism
Mahayana Buddhism
Chinese Buddhismand
Tibetan Buddhism
The lectures about Languages
Culture build the foundation
The interconnection of Buddhism and the different academic disciplines integrate Buddhist thought with contemporary sciences.

DEGREES OFFERED

The Bachelor of Arts Program is a 120 credit 8-semester programme aims to offer students a unique opportunity of experiencing a comprehensive and in-depth study of Buddhism from a nonsectarian point of view while promoting knowledge and understanding of the different schools and traditions within Buddhism.

The Master of Arts Program in Buddhist Studies aims to equip its participants with the currency of knowledge, skills and wisdom to serve humanity with Buddhist values. It is a 36-credit 4-semester program, which is intensive in approach and comprehensive in coverage.

The Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies is an international program offered in Chinese and English medium. It is a 54-credit program that rests on the premise that graduates of the program will serve humanity in their useful employment as ethically upright professionals.

KEY INFORMATION

IBC is a truly international College. The community is a culturally and traditionally diverse group with teachers, students and staff coming from various parts of the world.

The current faculty includes Professors and Lecturers from Belgium, China, India, Malaysia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tibet and Thailand. Current Students come from Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Germany, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, India, Laos, Russia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam. Thus IBC offers the unique opportunity to meet and learn about a very broad range of cultures and Buddhist traditions.

The Research office

The Research Office was established in early 2014. This is to realize IBC’s mission and objective as the leading centre of Buddhist studies; on the national, regional and internationally recognition. The office plays a role in managing and coordinating the research and development affairs, including budget and research planning and provision, coordination and implementation with other institutes in order to support both research and teaching-learning, especially for postgraduate students, to be concurrently with the excellent quality of research work. The office also plays a significant role in promoting and coordinating academic services and research utilization.

ADMISSION

The selection process of the International Buddhist College will be conducted for an intake related to the first semester (July-November). For MA and Ph.D. students an intake for the second semester (November-April) might exceptionally be accepted. Within the Enrollment Page you find detailed instructions regarding your application and the required documents.

The Klintiendharm Foundation administers the Educational Assistance offered to students studying at the International Buddhist College. Metta bursaries are offered to new students and to diligent existing students. If you need assistance, please carefully read the terms and send us your application.

Admission

A. Programs available for registration:

• Bachelor Degree

→ Bachelor of Arts in Buddhist Studies
→ Bachelor of Arts in Pāli and Sanskrit Language and Literature

• Master Degree

→ Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies (English and Chinese Medium)

• Doctor of Philosophy

→ Doctor of Philosophy in Buddhist Studies

B. Entry Qualifications:
Bachelor of Arts Degree Program

• A certificate of high school (Grade 6) or equivalent.
• A Pass in the English Proficiency Test or a TOEFL score of at least 550 or its
equivalent.

Master of Arts Degree Program (English and Chinese Medium)

• A four-year Bachelor Degree from a recognized or accredited tertiary institution,
with a minimum grade point average of 2.75
• Or Level Nine of Pāli certificate (For domestic applicants)
• A Pass in the English Proficiency Test or a TOEFL score of at least 550 or its
equivalent.

Doctor of Philosophy Degree Program (English and Chinese Medium)

• Holders of Master’s Degree or equivalent, with good academic records (GPA of 3.5
or higher )
• Academic background in Buddhist Studies or other related fields are not absolutely
essential but an asset.
• Proficiency in the English language as indicated by a TOEFL score of at least 550
or its equivalent.

C. Eligibility for Entrance Qualifying Examination and Interview:

A candidate must submit his or her fully completed application and relevant forms prior to the Entrance Qualifying Examination to be eligible for this pre-qualifying examination.

D. Selection: Entrance Qualifying Examination and Interview:

Selection of candidates will be based on Entrance Examination, interview performance and required entry qualifications.

E. Application Submission:
Please submit your application with the required documents as listed below:

• Complete form for admission, medical report and recommendation letter;
• Photocopy of ID card (for Thai nationals only) or passport together with 2 passport-
sized photos;
• For B.A. Applicant: (1) Certified copy of senior high school or above certificate; (2)
Certified official academic transcript.
• For M.A. Applicant: (1) Certified copy of B.A. certificate of graduation; (2) Certified
copy of official academic transcript.
• For Ph.D. Applicant: (1) Certified copy of B.A. and M.A. certificates of graduation;
(2) Certified copy of all official academic transcripts.

MA Buddhist Entrance Examination

Paper 1: English Proficiency Test (2 hours)
Interview, Listening, Grammar, Reading Comprehension, Writing
Paper 2: Buddhist Knowledge Test (1 hour)
Multiple Choices, Brief Outline & Essay Writing.

Reading materials are as below:
1) What the Buddha Taught (W.Rahula)
2) The Tree of Enlightenment (Peter Della Santina)
3) The History of Buddhist Thought (E.J.Thomas)

BA English Entrance Qualifying Examination

English Proficiency Test (2 hours)

New Student Registration : July 15, 2019.
Orientation for New Students: July 17 – 19, 2019
First day of lecture : July 22, 2019

TUITION FEE

Fees

Bachelor of Arts (Buddhist Studies) Program
(4 years, 120 credits)

Fees in Thai Baht per regular semester (15 credits per regular semester, according to the study plan):
1st semester = 44,400
2nd semester = 41,250
3rd semester = 41,250
4th semester = 41,250
5th semester = 41,250
6th semester = 41,250
7th semester = 41,250
8th semester = 42,750
Total (exclude visa fees) = 334,650

Notes:
(i) Visa fees，yearly international fees 20,000 THB, yearly student club fees 1,000 THB are not included.
(ii) Tuition fee per credit for taught course is 2,250 THB.
(iii) Hostel fees for in-campus students is 44,000 Baht per academic year for shared room. Meals are included in hostel fees.
(iv) Total fees for 4-year BA program = Tuition fees 334,650 THB + International fees = 80,000 THB + hostel and food = 176,000 THB + student club fees = 4,000 THB = 594,650 THB.
(v) For each subsequent regular semester, student is required to pay 6,000 Baht for administrative and student status maintenance fees，international fees 20,000 THB and student club fees 1,000 THB.

Master of Arts (Buddhist Studies) Program
(2 years, 36 credits)

Plan A: 33 credits of coursework + 3 credits of Independent Study (IS);
Plan B: 24 credits of coursework + 12 credits of Thesis

Fees in Thai Baht per regular semester (12 credits per regular semester, according to the study plan):
1st semester = 57,900
2nd semester = 54,750
3rd semester = 54,750
4th semester = 56,250
Total (exclude visa fees) = 223,650

Notes:
(i) Visa fees，yearly international fees 20,000 THB, yearly student club fees 1,000 THB are not included.
(ii) Tuition fee per credit for taught course is 4,500 THB. 4 remedial courses (Pali 1 & 2; Sanskrit 1 & 2) are non-credit courses.
(iii) Hostel fees for in-campus students is 44,000 Baht per academic year for shared room. Meals are included in hostel fees.
(iv) Total fees for 2-year MA program = Tuition fees 223,650 THB + International fees = 40,000 THB + hostel and food = 88,000 THB + student club fees = 2,000 THB = 353,650 THB.
(v) For each subsequent regular semester, student is required to pay 6,000 Baht for administrative and student status maintenance fees，international fees 20,000 THB and student club fees 1,000 THB.

Doctor of Philosophy (Buddhist Studies) Program
(3 years, 54 credits)

1st semester = 78,150
2nd semester = 68,250
3rd semester = 69,750
4th semester = 68,250
5th semester = 83,250
6th semester = 69,750
Total (exclude visa fees) = 437,400

Notes:
(i) Visa fees，yearly international fees 20,000 THB, yearly student club fees 1,000 THB are not included.
(ii) Tuition fee per credit is 6,750 THB.
(iii) Hostel fees for in-campus students is 66,000 THB per academic year for a single room. Meals are included in hostel fees.
(iv) Total fees for 3-year PhD program = Tuition fees 437,400 THB + International fees = 60,000 THB + hostel and food = 198,000 THB + student club fees = 3,000 THB = 698,400 THB.
(v) For each subsequent regular semester, student is required to pay 6,000 Baht for administrative and student status maintenance fees，international fees 20,000 THB and student club fees 1,000 THB.

ACCOMMODATION

IBC is a residential college. All students were accommodated in the IBC Temple in dormitories that were fully furnished with beds and beddings for rest, and tables and chairs for study. Living arrangement accorded with the Vinaya. Monks, nuns, novices, female and male lay students were in separate dormitories in different floors of the Temple. Temple rules based on the Vinaya applied to help foster a systematic and disciplined living necessary for maintaining harmony. Students learned to be considerate and caring as good spiritual friends for one another.

** Those who wish to live outside the campus must pay for all the expenses incurred, though the college will help them locate accommodations.

Meals

Students came from seven different countries in Asia, with the Theravada component from Thailand, Bangladesh and Cambodia, and the Mahayana component from China, Korea, India and Malaysia. Each culture and tradition had different cuisines, rites and rituals of partaking meals. At IBC, the interplay of mutual understanding and magnanimity led to the acceptance of vegetarian meals typical of the Mahayana tradition. During the partaking of meals, Theravada rites and rituals were followed before and after each meal. Each meal time offered an opportunity for all to recollect and contemplate on importance of practice, the teachings of Buddha, and expression of gratitude for the offerings one received.

In an international community like IBC, it was inevitable that the students and staff would take time out to prepare and display one’s own cuisines and cooking skills. During the year, students and staff of different nationalities worked together to prepare ‘shuijiao or dumplings and steamboat’ under the direction of the Chinese students; roti (Indian bread) and dal (lentil curry) under the direction of Malaysian and Indian students; ‘kimchi’ or Korean pickled vegetables under the guidance of our South Korean lecturer; and of course the Thai salads. Preparing meals were also a good time and a good opportunity for students and staff to build up comradeship and understanding among one another in an informal but effective way.

Robes

Robes were donated to the faculty and student monastics once a year while toiletries were supplied to all monks, nuns and lay students regularly.

Medicine and Health Services

IBC maintains a treatment room (sometimes called Metta Clinic) in which Chinese herbal medicines and emergency kit are stored. It is managed by a volunteer physician of traditional Chinese medicines from Malaysia who visits IBC regularly. During the past year, he was assisted by one very caring nun. The volunteer physician gives free consultative medical services and treatment including acupuncture and physical therapy to the students and staff.

Student monks and nuns are also registered with the Hatyai Hospital where they could consult and get treatment at minimal cost if any.

Educational materials and support

Students were given assistance with educational materials such as texts for the courses they took, photocopying and printing service. Occasionally, students received stationary materials donated by well wishers. To help them with their research and studies, students were given access to internet and a well-stocked library at IBC. Teachers, who also resided at the College, often gave extra classes or tuition to the students.

SADAO CAMPUS

KORAT CAMPUS

International Buddhist College

IBC bachelor degree programs, aims to offer students a unique opportunity of experiencing a comprehensive and in-depth study of Buddhism.